Power sleep : the revolutionary program that prepares your mind for peak performance

James B. Maas with Megan L. Wherry ... [et al.].

New York : Villard Books, c1998.

A groundbreaking and practical guide from one of the nation's premier sleep researchers on getting enough sleep and using it to dramatically improve physical and mental well-being. Copyright #169; Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Do you experience mid-afternoon drowsiness, even when you know you had a good nights sleep? You might benefit from taking a nap. Napping can reduce stress, make you more alert, and boost your performance. It can also help you catch up on lost sleep.

<p><em>The Baby Sleeps Tonight</em>offers a concise, pocket-sized guide packed with simple effective solutions that rely on a proven model of sleeping success. Sleep schedule specialist Shari Mezrah outlines quick and specific instructions to teach anyone, no matter how sleep deprived, how to create order and happiness in their household by getting baby to sleep through the night by nine weeks. The secret to the plan is the practical and progressive schedule that the author developed and has been teaching for over 10 years, and the easy to understand schedules, checklists, and helpful tips aimed at every stage of development for the first year and beyond. Planning for predictable happiness using <em>The Baby Sleeps Tonight</em>system helps new parents regain control over their lives, guiding them through the thorny problem of sleep schedules all the way from prebirth through the toddler years and ensuring that baby-and the whole family-sleeps tonight. </p>

A power nap is a short sleep in which you wake before you go into a deep sleep. A fifteen to thirty minute nap is best. Snoozing over ninety minutes could make you groggier and may interfere with your nighttime sleep. Schedule your nap about the same time everyday and at least eight hours before bedtime.

Leonardo da Vinci suggested taking a fifteen minute nap every four hours. Sailors taking lone, long voyages use this method.

Some famous nappers are:

Salvador Dali would hold a spoon in his hand as he sat in his chair. Under the dangling spoon was a tin plate. Just as he would go into deep sleep, his muscles would relax and let go of the spoon, which would crash down onto the plate. He would wake up and be completely refreshed.

Eleanor Roosevelt was able to take one-minute naps sitting in an upright position during dinner parties. She also napped on the speakersí platform and always awoke when it was her turn to speak.

Albert Einstein said naps made him more creative and refreshed his mind.

Anytime you feel that afternoon drowsiness--close your eyes, put your head down and take a power nap. You will wake up and likely have a more productive day.